The Halo Effect: Power of First Impressions
August 4th, 2011
Are first impressions important? Do attractive people have an unfair advantage? According to the halo effect, while not a fair or necessarily an accurate assessment, first impressions are indeed very powerful. When people receive positive visual messages and cues from a pleasing appearance, they will assume that other aspects about you are equally as positive. This compounding effect is referred to as the halo effect.
Solomon Asch, the human behaviorist who is considered an early pioneer of social psychology is well-know for research in this area. The results of his famous study suggest that attractiveness is a central trait, so we take it another step further to presume all the other traits of an attractive person are just as attractive and sought after. The linking of disconnected traits is the basis for making first impressions and why they are so hard to overcome.
As silly as it seems, results from a more recent study by Bryn Mawr College confirms his earlier research. As a cosmetic surgeon, I make a living helping people improve their appearance. I do believe in the notion that when you look good, you often feel better, but I find it fascinating that the perceptions of appearance and physical beauty also involve the unconscious. I’ll think twice now about running up to the grocery store in my dirty gardening clothes, lest I be judged too harshly!
Botox ® More than Wrinkle Eraser
July 28th, 2011
Botox ® has been approved for limited use since the 1980’s to treat many muscle related problems. The botulinum toxin was first used in a non-cosmetic clinical setting. As with many new drugs, alternate uses have been discovered and treating facial wrinkles has certainly proved to be a big one. Botox continues to provide substantial medical benefits aside from the most common cosmetic uses.
Botox is effective in treating a variety of conditions, usually involving muscles. They include, blepharospasm and strabismus, which are neurological movement disorders affecting the face. It is also used to treat muscles that are hypertonic, lacking the ability for active lengthening.
The first example of an FDA approved non-muscular use is for the treatment of over-active sweat glands. Sweat glands under the arm are injected and a reduction of excessive sweating may last up to 6 months. However, this can be quite an uncomfortable procedure, as the armpit has lots of nerve endings and is particularly sensitive.
Clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate use for migraines, where injections into the head and neck muscles may reduce the onset of migraines. This new usage offers the potential to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from chronic migraines.
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